Opener for cans and like containers



NDV. 13, 1923. nmmm E. J. BOYLER OPENER FOR CANS AND LIKE CONTAINERS Filed April 2/2./192l.

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EMH/VU L7. BO LLJER Patented Nov. 13, i923,

NEE, OF NORTH HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

OPENER FOR CANS AND LIKE CGNTAINER SL Application filed April 22, 1921. Serial No. 463,714.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that T, EMANUEL J. BOYLER,

a subject of the King of Great Britian and Ireland, and resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Openers for Cans and like Containers, of which the following is a specification.

, The present invention relates to tools or devices useful for opening cans or other containers; and one object of the invention, amongst others, is to provide a tool of simple construction which may be produced at a iomparatively low cost. Another object of the invention is to provide an ellicient tool which can be successfully operated, with safety, to open or remove the tops of cans without the use of special skill acquired through practice, as often necessary with can-openers heretofore proposed and in use. The improved tool, constructed and arranged in a-ircordance with this invention may be dilierentiated from others of its class previously proposed, in that the present, improved tool can be conveniently used in several different ways, one way wherein the cover of the can or container is cut open at the top, and by the other way, the top is on tirely removed by cutting around the side of the can or container. With either way, the tool is guided and the hand of the operator is guarded so that, under all conditions, the can or container may be opened with facility, and with safety from the risk of the too-l slipping and endangering the hand of the operator.

According to the invention, hereinafter more particularly described and then claimed in the appended claims, the improved tool consists of three members, namely, a body portion or handle, a guiding guard, and a cutting blade, the said body portion and guard being )referably integral and composed of malleable iron so as to ensure durability. The blade is composed of tempered steel and is either permanently or detacha-bly secured to an offset shank connecting the handle with the guard. The blade there fore lies substantially in alineinent with the handle, whereby the force employed to cut the can is applied in a direct line and under leverage as will be explained hereinafter. The guard is offset relatively to the handle and lies in a position substantially parallel as being used in two different ways, for one of the ways, the tool is shown in full lines positioned to cut oil the top of the can, and

in broken lines, as in the position for cutting open the top of the can.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved tool;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tool;

Fig. -i is a section taken on line44c of Fig. 2, showing the handle partly broken away;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the indicating arrow; and Fig. 6 is a bottom plan iew of the improved tool showing the handle partly broken away.

Referring now to the aforesaid drawings:--

The body portion of the tool comprises the handle 1, guard 2, and offset shank 3 located between the guard and the handle. The said body portion is perferably a malleable iron casting in one piece, and both the guard and handle have openings, respectively a and 5, so. as to lighten the tool. The blade 6 is secured to the shank or intermediate part 3 of the body, in such a manner that it cannot b displaced or become loosened. The articular means for securing the blade 6, consists in providing an upper prolongation of the blade and this prolongation is held be tween elongated lugs 8 cast on said shank The upper end of said prolongation 7 is swelled outwardly at 9 and recessed at 10. A fixed pin 11 on the shank 3 is engaged in said recess 10. lVhen the blade is set in place the lugs 8 are upset so as to lock the blade. in place against any angular movement and the pin 11 and swelling 9 respectively prevent upward and downward movement of the blade Within its seat.

The upper or cutting edge 12 of the blade is sharpened down to the prolongation 7 so as to provide a long cutting edge, and which blade as previously stated, is substantially in alinement with the handle. The guard 2, offset from the shank or body portion, lies alongside the blade in a position substantially parallel therewith, the space between the blade and the. guard being just suflicient to r ceive the double thick rim such as 14 of the can 15 shown in Fig. 1.

A shouldered lug 16 is formed at the upper free end of the guard 2 and this lug projects inwardly, at right angles to said guard and lies over said blade. In operation, the cutting action of the blade is effected under leverage and said lug 16 provides the fulcrum when the tool is operated in the vertical position. It should be understood that the under surface of the part of the guard 2, concentric with the curved cutting edge of the blade, as shown in Figure 2, engages the side of the can when the tool is operated in the horizontal position and in this manner said surface operates as an extended fulcrum for the tool.

The blade 6 is pointed and sharpened at the end 17, so that it may readily penetrate the tin cover or side of the can in preparation for the operation of cutting off or open ing the cover. The inner end 18 of the blade is provided with a pronounced hook where. with a bottle stopper for example, may be engaged and readily pried off.

In the operation of the tool hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in Fig' 1, to cut off the top of the can, which is the preferable way of opening a can and for which the improved tool is particularly well adapted, said tool is placed in a horizontal position relatively to the can, as shown in full lines. The point of the blade is first forced into the side of the can, so that the rim of the can engages within the space between the blade and the guard, and the fulcrum lug is engaged against the side of the rim of the can. The cutting action is preferably in a direction away from the operator, or in other words towards the right-hand side as shown in the drawing, the tool being so designed, but if a left-handed cut, towards the operator, is wanted, the parts of the tool must in the manufacture thereof, be arranged in a reversed order. hen the tool is cutting, the fulcrum lug is advanced around the rim of the can and the guard engaging the top of the rim of the can guides the travel of the tool so that the 'cut is straight and neat.

When opening the top of the can, the tool is held in a substantially vertical and reversed position, so that the guard engages the side of the rim and the fulcrum lug engages the top of the rim of the can. In this operation, it will be noted, the cut is made toward the operator or as shown in the drawing, toward the left-hand side.

I am aware that it has previously been proposed, referring particularly to British Patent No. 2623 dated June 24:, 1876, to

provide a can-opening tool having the essential elements of a tool such as hereinbefore described and which elements are, namejaw so that it lies substantially parallel alongside said blade. The essential elements as mentioned, having previously been disclosed, the same are disclaimed and the points of difference found in the improved can-opener hereinbefore described are particularly defined in the appended claims. These points of difference are found in the improved design and construction and arrangement of the essential elements referred to and by means of which improvements, an improvedtool is produced which possesses many advantages as regards the appearance of the tool, facility in its manufacture, its efficiency and also its utility.

I claim- 1. A tool as described having a handle, a head and a connecting shank, said handle being located in an angular position relative 1y to said head, said head being off-set laterally relatively to said shank, a blade secured to said shank so as to lie parallel to said head, means integral with said shank for securing said blade, an extended fulcrum surface for said blade provided by said head and a lug located at right angles to said.

head above the cutting edge of said blade and extending beyond the same at one side so as to provide an additional fulcrum for said blade.

2. A tool of the character described, havmg a handle, a head and a connecting-shank,

blade and a lug located at the end of said fulcrum surface ad acent to the free end of said blade.

Signed at'llew Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut/this 12th day of April A. D. 1921.

EMANUEL J. BOYLER 

